Exhibition

Introduction | Bamboo | Baskets | Tea Ceremony
Basket Makers | Conclusion

Artist unknown Flower Basket with Handle Meiji-Taishô eras (1868-1926) Photograph by Pat Pollard.

Basket makers pay boundless respect to their material. They unanimously share the concept that a successful basket integrates the natural beauty of bamboo with its form, texture, and overall balance. As an old Japanese saying goes, "ten years for splitting bamboo," that is, it takes at least ten years to master the variety of skills required to make a basket, including the preliminary preparation of bamboo and then splitting, stripping, polishing, and weaving. The saying not only implies the level of craftsmanship required for an independent basket maker but also signifies the moral aspect of the craft--vigorous training is a humbling experience through which an individual proves lasting motivation, patience, and determination.

Although craftsmanship is often handed down in hereditary succession, a master basket maker may accept outside novices. In the most conservative manner of apprenticeship, though not common today, novices live with their master and merely sweep his garden for months before being allowed to touch any bamboo. (A more systematic and institutionalized training in bamboo craft is advocated by the contemporary artist Iizuka Shôkansai; yet, he acknowledges the benefits of the traditional way of apprenticeship, which focuses on deepening the spiritual and moral dimensions of the art.) When finally allowed to weave, the novices may be asked to imitate a Chinese-model basket. Studying from the old masterpieces of Chinese origin is still considered to be the essential way not only to acquire varieties of refined techniques but also to develop an aesthetic sensibility.

Higashi Takesonosai (b. 1915) stripping bamboo Photograph by Lloyd Cotsen

The actual training in bamboo basketry begins by learning when to harvest the material. This requires a sensitivity to the "best" bamboo, that is, bamboo with the right flexibility and texture (usually three to four years old). The best time to harvest is in autumn, when there is less insect infestation and less moisture to cause mildew. The cut stalk is then either heated over a charcoal or gas fire to burn off excess oil or boiled in an alkaline solution. The bamboo is cleaned with cordage or water mixed with rice chaff and cured under sunlight to keep it insect repellent and to bring out an attractive yellow color. The stalk of bamboo is finally cut into the desired length of approximately three feet, and the basket maker begins the time-consuming and laborious process of splitting and stripping.

Splitting is done by repeatedly cutting down the wall of the bamboo stalk vertically--bamboo fibers run in that direction from top to bottom. Stripping further thins down each strip parallel to its outer surface. This work is done with a few medium-size knives. The dexterity of a maker rather than the quality of the tools is the deciding factor for the mastery of this process. Many spend considerable time in training to achieve strips as straight as possible and the correct width and thickness for a particular basket. A master basket maker might produce a half dozen strips as thin as a millimeter in half an hour.

Artists unknown Detail of Flower Basket with Handle Meiji-Taishô eras (1868-1926) Photograph by Pat Pollard

These preparatory steps are seamlessly connected with the weaving because different designs, weave patterns, and basket sizes require bamboo strips with specific qualities. With almost no exception, bamboo baskets are made from bottom up. The basic structure of a basket consists of a base, body, and rim. The first and the last parts determine the durability and balance of the whole. The techniques of weaving (ami in Japanese) vary from simple four-mesh plaiting (yotsume-ami) to more complex chrysanthemum plaiting (kiku-ami), and each weave offers a distinct aesthetic effect as well as varying degrees of structural support. Besides the weaving methods, there are other techniques for visual and structural enhancement such as rattan wrapping (maki) and inserting separate pieces or strips of bamboo or other materials (sashi). In recent years, the term kumi (to construct) has been introduced to describe the making of baskets. The use of this word suggests a change in the general consciousness about baskets as objects of art for it immediately associates baskets with sculpture and architecture.

Oda Kôyô (1909-1996) Flower Basket entitled Eddying Water c.1970s Photograph by Pat Pollard

All available techniques, together with the various types of bamboo, offer basket makers innumerable possibilities in the creation of new forms and textures.

Next Bamboo Baskets and
the Tea Ceremony

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Introduction | Bamboo | Baskets | Tea Ceremony
Basket Makers | Conclusion